Compare the2025 Volkswagen AtlasVS 2025 Volvo XC90

Both the Atlas and the XC90 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Volkswagen Atlas is safer than the Volvo XC90:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Volkswagen Atlas is safer than the XC90:

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Atlas is .8% to 5.5% less likely to roll over than the XC90.

There are over 2 times as many Volkswagen dealers as there are Volvo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Atlas’ warranty.

The Volkswagen Atlas’ engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the XC90’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. With 1 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Volkswagen higher than Volvo.

The Atlas’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 22 more horsepower (269 vs. 247) and 7 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 266) than the XC90 B5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

Both the Atlas and the XC90 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Atlas’s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The XC90 T8 doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Atlas uses regular unleaded gasoline. The XC90 requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Atlas has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the XC90. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

The Atlas stops much shorter than the XC90:

The front and rear suspension of the Atlas uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the XC90, which uses transverse leafs springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

The Atlas’ drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The XC90 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Atlas is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than on the XC90.

The Atlas 4Motion handles at .84 G’s, while the XC90 B6 Core pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Volkswagen Atlas may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 650 pounds less than the Volvo XC90.

The Atlas has 50.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XC90 (154 vs. 103.8).

The Atlas has 2.4 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front legroom, 2.4 inches more front hip room, 3.8 inches more front shoulder room, 1.9 inches more rear headroom, .6 inches more rear legroom, 2.1 inches more rear hip room, 4 inches more rear shoulder room, 2 inches more third row headroom, 1.8 inches more third row legroom, .2 inches more third row hip room and 8 inches more third row shoulder room than the XC90.

The Atlas’ cargo area provides more volume than the XC90.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Atlas easier. The Atlas’ cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.7 inches, while the XC90’s liftover is 30.8 inches.

The Atlas’ cargo area is larger than the XC90’s in every dimension:

The Atlas’ front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The XC90’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Atlas to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. Heated windshield washer nozzles cost extra on the XC90.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Atlas’ headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the XC90’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Atlas has standard extendable sun visors. The XC90 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Atlas has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the XC90.

The Atlas SEL Premium R-Line’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The XC90 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Atlas is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The XC90 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the Atlas owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Atlas will cost $2335 to $5785 less than the XC90 over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Atlas is less expensive to operate than the XC90 because typical repairs cost much less on the Atlas than the XC90, including $225 less for a water pump, $13 less for front brake pads and $253 less for a fuel pump.

The Volkswagen Atlas outsold the Volvo XC90 by over two to one during 2023.